1981: KENNETH WILLIAMS and his THERMOELECTRIC Watch | Tomorrow's World | Retro Tech | BBC Archive 

Yes I agree, It’s a shame he didn’t live in this era where being gay is normal. Me also thinks of Kenny Everett etc.

Isn't it!

I know! It's surreal!!

Therr miiihhnd bohgggleszsz!!!

Absolutely amazing. He should have done more of this as he really got the points across.

It's like the spirit of Kenneth Williams created a little alternative history just to say, "Hi!"

"Ooh! Look at all those microamps!" 🤣

As in an "Oh Matron!" voice

@@robflynn509 Or quantum mechanics, "Oh muon!"

It’s no wonder he did so many Jackanories. Great entertainment.

Our Ken was always doing odd things.

He sounded so confident, as an electronics guy even for a moment I nearly had to check on Wikipedia if he'd studied it and nobody had mentioned it!

He was probably reading what we used to call an autocue before America renamed everything. Now we call it a teleprompter. Cue cards are also a possibility, as is the possibility that Williams just learned the lines like he did for so many films. You're right though! He spoke with the confidence of a proper sparky :)

I'm reading he was a member of the Royal Engineers in the second world war. So, some engineering experience, although maybe not electrical. Personally, it doesn't look like he's reading from an autocue/telepromter to me, as he constantly breaks eye contact with the camera, and his eyes dont look like they are scanning lines. But you may be right, I may be wrong.

@@ryans756 autocue is a brand name I believe, so they’re the ones pushing the name teleprompter lest their brand become legally-genericised. In some regions even adrenaline is still a brand name! How they manage to defend that I don’t know, but it is!

Watch some "Carry On" films, matey :)

Enjoy your journey of discovery. During interviews he would regularly do impersonations of whomever he was talking about. He was also a great friend of Maggie Smith's and told amusing stories of their times together. He recorded some of his journals, which he kept regularly, and I think you might be able to find that recording on RU-vid.

In Britain, he's an absolute legend among legends. Despite crippling personal issues (lifelong depression), he was one of the loveliest men you could ever hope to meet and a national treasure on our tv screens. He possibly murdered his own father when he was quite young. Poison. But no one could say for sure if it was accidental, suicide or murder. He was a devoted diary keeper too and they were published after his death. Ugh. But they just revealed how troubled he was all his life, how lonely, how sad, and on the last page: "Oh what's the point?" Then he took enough barbiturates to kill himself and he died. Reminds me a little of the Robin Williams (another Williams!) story. Another man who made so many others smile and laugh, but ended up taking his own life. Sorry. That was hardly cheerful.

To be fair, that last journal entry is vague. He'd been talking about how the pills he was taking for one condition aggravated another, and signed off with, "what's the point," so it's unclear if he meant the pills or life in general. He was depressed and did put himself under tremendous pressure, though, so either interpretation is possible. Robin Williams was suffering from early stages of dimentia which he did not want to go through, nor drag his family through. I had the opportunity to meet him and he was one of the sweetest people I'd ever met, but yes he did have an underlying sadness. I recall seeing him bombarded by fans wanting to take a photo. Someone gave me a camera and asked me to take a picture of her with him. He was talking to someone else and the person who gave me the camera became impatient telling the other woman to get out of the way. Trying to deflate the situation I jokingly said, "Yeah, you're not famous." The woman who had been talking to Robin said, "No, and I don't want to be." Robin quietly responded, "I don't blame you."

​@@WaterShowsProd For personal reasons, I suspect suicide. But I do hope I'm wrong. I hope he never felt THAT low. That would be a shame. I appreciate the Robin Williams story. Thank you.

Don't forget Blu-Tac

@@onlyme219Good ,but I'm sure that was a seventies thing though. My mistake 1969!

I think he could probably have read the phone book and still made it enjoyable! :)

And a pale imitation. A sort of pound shop version to Kenny W's Selfridges.

​@@stevoukI don't disagree.

That's the Old School Reunion ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A2x89oAvkEo.html one of my favourites! Unless you mean Hancock's School where Hancock runs a school in his house

Carry On films most likely.

@@aaropajari7058 Certainly a good place to start...

Did a lot of radio comedy too. Just a Minute, Julian and Sandy - much of it is on RU-vid. A very funny man.

@@Deebz270 Absolutely. And much else besides. It was an answer to where the original poster probably saw KW before.

@@hilaryepstein6013 Indeed. I remember him reading children's books as a child. Even his television interviews are masterpieces.

Ha! Yep. Makes good sense :)

“Matron”

@@thewretchedyouth Ahahaha 🤣

I'm sure Kenneth Williams could have found a way to wind it up. 😂

@@WaterShowsProd Oohhh Matron....you are naughty.

Pr!ck

@@onlyme219 a valid point and you made it very well. but i'm still the winner lol. better luck tomorrow buddy.

@@mr.d5314 thank you :) did you win anything being the winner?